Quick Overview

Sadabahar or periwinkle is a very commonly grown plant in India. It is native to Madagascar. There are 2 varieties that are grown for its medicinal value - the pink and the white colored flower varieties.

Ornamental varieties have been developed whose flowers are more colorful.

Sadabahar, periwinkle or vinca rosea is an evergreen shrub that is commonly grown worldwide both as an ornamental plant and for medicinal purposes. The vinca rosea plant grows to about 3 feet in height having smooth, glossy, dark green leaves, and flowers throughout the year.

The medicinal variety has white flowers and the pink flowers have a dark pink eye in the center.

Description:
It is an evergreen subshrub or herbaceous plant growing 1 m tall. The leaves are oval to oblong, 2.5–9 cm long and 1–3.5 cm broad, glossy
green, hairless, with a pale midrib and a short petiole 1–1.8 cm long; they are arranged in opposite pairs. The flowers are white to dark pink with a darker red centre, with a basal tube 2.5–3 cm long and a corolla 2–5 cm diameter with five petal-like lobes. The fruit is a pair of follicles 2–4 cm long and 3 mm broad.
In the wild, it is an endangered plant; the main cause of decline is habitat destruction by slash and burn agriculture. It is also however widely cultivated and is naturalised in subtropical and tropical areas of the world. It is so well adapted to growth in Australia, that it is listed as a noxious weed in Western Australia and the Australian Capital Territory, and also in parts of eastern Queensland.
Health Benefits
Vinca rosea contains 2 classes of active compounds, the alkaloids and the tannins. More than 100 alkaloids have been found in this plant of which vincristine and vinblastine are most notable for their medicinal benefits.
Sadabahar or the Vinca rosea plant has been used both in Ayurvedic medicine and Chinese medicine. The leaves, flowers and roots are used in Ayurvedic medicine. Chinese medicine uses the extracts of the plant for diseases such as diabetes, malaria, leukemia and Hodgkin's disease.
In traditional medicine, the leaf juice has been used to treat wasp stings, a gargle is used for sore throats, flower extracts are used for infants' eyewash. Periwinkle tea is used to treat diabetes and cough.
Some of the health benefits of Sadabahar, periwinkle or vinca rosea plant are :
The leaves and stems are a source of alkaloids that have anti tumor and anti cancer properties.
The leaves are used to control diabetes and high blood pressure.
The alkaloids also offer sedative and tranquilizing properties.
It relieves muscle pain and depression.
Because of its property of detoxification and counteracting poison it is used to relieve wasp stings.
Sadabahar controls nosebleeds, bleeding gums, mouth ulcers and sore throats.
It is useful in treating gastritis, cystitis, enteritis, diarrhea, diabetes, etc when taken internally.
The vinca rosea plant ensures brain health. Its active ingredients improve blood supply to the brain, increase the level of oxygen that the brain can utilize. It also raises serotonin levels and prevents abnormal coagulation of blood.
The alkaloid vincamine keeps the blood thin and has memory enhancing properties. It is therefore useful in preventing dementia, especially vascular dementia.